Centering and marking tool for pipes



May 13, 1958 W. T. HAMBRICK ENTERING AND MARKING TOOL FOR PIPES Filed Nov. 22, 1955 Q Fig.2

, William 7. Hambrick INVENTORL United States Patent CENTERING AND MARKING TOOL FOR PIPES William T. Hambrick, Rudy, Ark.

Application November 22, 1955, Serial No. 548,370

1 Claim. (Cl. 33-189) The present invention relates generally to new and useful improvements in layout tools and more particularly to a centering and marking tool for pipe.

An important object of the invention is to provide a mounting for a center punch adapted for easily and quickly attaching to a carpenters square for locating and marking the center of pipes of various diameters.

Another object of the invention is to equip the mountiug on a center punch with spirit levels arranged to set the tool either horizontally or vertically or at a 45 angle.

A still further object is to provide a tool of this character of simple and practical construction, which is eflicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a front elevational view;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a top plan View.

Referring now to the drawing in detail wherein, for the purpose of illustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a channel member adapted for mounting on a carpenters square 6 and secured in slidably adjusted position thereon by setscrews 7. The ends 8 and 9 of the channel member are at right angles to the back 10 thereof to register either end of the channel member with the graduations 11 on the square to adjust the channel member thereon in accordance with variations in the diameter of pipe 12 to be marked by the tool.

A sleeve 13 is welded or otherwise suitably secured to the front of the channel member 10 at a point midway between the end portions 8 and 9 thereof and parallel to said end portions and in which a center punch 14 is slidably mounted with the pointed tip 15 of the punch adjacent the open edge of the channel member. The rear end of the punch projects outwardly beyond the back 10 of the channel member and a coil spring 16 is held under tension on the rear portion of the punch between the adjacent end of the sleeve 13 and a washer 17 secured on the punch by a cotter pin 18. A cotter pin 19 also extends transversely of the punch adjacent the tip 15 thereof to limit retracting movement of the punch by the action of the spring 16.

A spirit level tube 20 is suitably secured to the front surface of the channel member 5 parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof and one or more spirit level tubes 21 are also secured to the front surface of the channel member at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the channel member and at right angles to the spirit level tube 20. An additional spirit level tube 22 is also secured to the front surface of the channel member 5 at a 45 angle with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof.

In order to locate the center of the pipe 12, the carpenters square 6 is placed transversely on the pipe and the channel member 5 adjusted thereon to center the punch 14 according to the diameter of the pipe. A hammer blow is then delivered to the rear end of the punch to mark the center of the pipe. The channel member 5 has a free front longitudinal edge with a recess therein extending longitudinally thereof as at 14, and in which the punch 14 is set back and is open for reading the punch therethrough against the graduations 11.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention 1 to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling Within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A carpenters pipe center locating and marking tool comprising an elongated channel member having a pair of spaced flat parallel front and rear flanges and a flat back and adapted to straddle a carpenters square and be slidably adjusted along the same, a transverse sleeve on the front flange substantially midway between the ends of the member, a spring retracted punch slidably fitted in said sleeve and having a punch end, a transverse pin in said punch at said punch end engaging one end of the sleeve to limit the traction of the punch, and a pair of setscrews in one of said flanges at opposite sides of the sleeve and adjacent the ends of the channel member engageable with a carpenters square to retain said channel member in adjusted position, said front flange having a longitudinal free edge provided with a longitudinal recess in which the punch is set back and which is open for reading the punch therethrough against graduations on one edge of the carpenters square.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 564,342 Sherman July 21, 1896 868,421 Feil Oct. 15, 1907 1,280,379 Bonney Oct. 1, 1918 1,298,866 Beach Apr. 1, 1919 1,963,805 Radke June 19, 1934 2,373,641 Ackerson Q Apr. 17, 1945 2,386,833 Baldwin Oct. 16, 1945 2,542,561 Olejniczak Feb. 20, 1951 2,735,190 Jordan .....1 Feb. 21, 1956 

